It was another big week of comics. DC kicked off "The Button" in Batman #21 and wrapped up a major storyline in All-Star Batman #9. marvel delivered several critical Secret Empire prologues and finally gave Nick Fury Jr. his own series. Elsewhere, Dark Horse published another terrific chapter of Black Hammer and Boom's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers saga continues to unfold.
Scroll down to check out our reviews for these and various other new releases, and be sure to let us know your favorite books of the week in the comments below.
Written by Scott Snyder | Drawn by Jock & Francesco Francavilla
"The world being what it is today, you can't blame comic creators for becoming more preoccupied with doomsday scenarios and world-ending catastrophes. All-Star Batman's 'Ends of the Earth' story arc has been especially preoccupied with the end of the world. That culminates in an explosive finale issue that manages to reinforce the power of Batman in these troubled times and offer a satisfying new take on a familiar supporting character." -Jesse
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Final Score:
Written by Tom King | Drawn by Jason Fabok
"Compared to the scope of, say, Secret Empire, DC's 'The Button' crossover is a pretty modest affair. That said, there's no more exciting storyline in superhero comics right now. This crossover pairs DC's two greatest costumed detectives on the biggest case of their careers, as they struggle to make sense of the mysterious smiley face button Batman uncovered in the Batcave and how it connects to the unseen foe who's been busy rewriting the fabric of the DCU. Readers might want to keep their expectations in check, however. While the first issue is well-crafted, it's a surprisingly slow start to such a brief crossover." -Jesse
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Final Score:
Written by Marguerite Bennett & James Tynion IV | Drawn by Steve Epting
Where the debut issue sought to the put the character back on the map, Batwoman’s latest seeks to further define what it is she’s up against. At least, that seems to be the general focus of Marguerite Bennett and James Tynion IV’s script, which relies heavily on back story and spoken exposition. This in itself wouldn’t be so bad if not for the copious page time dedicated to introducing new characters. In time the various relationships and tie-ins may pay dividends, but as it is here the new additions are little more than pieces to an as of yet undefined puzzle. Steve Epting’s art is as gorgeous and well constructed as ever, but with so little context his characters read as more stock than anything else. There are a few exceptions, namely in Kate’s deadly battle with the vengeful Knife, but overall this issue reads as setup for what we hope is less weighty fare down the line. -Jeff
Final Score:
Written by Christopher Priest | Drawn by Joe Bennett
Deathstroke is a monster, but still a very compelling bastard. After establishing a bond between the blind Deathstroke and Power Girl, Priest spends most of this issue tearing that connection apart after a rather extreme act of cruelty by Slade. It’s the kind of thing that may come to define Slade, and the screwed up part of it is that it was his way of sabotaging his relationship with Tanya. And if you’ve been following this series for any length of time, you may have noticed that pattern in his life. Joe Bennett's performance in this issue is masterful. And I say performance because so much of what’s happening between Tanya and Slade is conveyed in their faces and body language. That last panel on page 4 was particularly striking. Bennett’s storytelling skills are very impressive, and his action sequences were dynamic and easy to follow. The rest of the issue deals with Slade’s children discovering the way that he’s wronged them as well, all in the name of love. It’s a seriously messed up family dynamic, but it’s really entertaining. Priest and Bennett have been a godsend on this book. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Ben Percy | Drawn by Juan Ferreyra
Now this is more like it. After stumbling through the Roy Harper storyline, Green Arrow is back on track for the first part of “The Rise of Star City.” A lot of that course correction is due to the artwork of Juan Ferreyra, who uses six double-page splashes to simultaneously track Oliver Queen’s uncomfortable revelation about his father alongside a series of deadly attacks in Seattle. That approach gives Green Arrow a widescreen dynamic and a lot room to explore the big moments in the story. But the way that Ferreyra handles the facial expressions is also very impressive. His characters emote and react exactly as they should. And Benjamin Percy wisely gets out of Ferreyra’s way to let the art speak for itself, when needed. Percy also does a very strong job with this issue, as he brings back some familiar foes and still advances Oliver’s personal journey. It’s a great combination of writing and artwork that makes this one of DC’s best books in the Rebirth era. And we’re happy to say that this book is once again living up to that level of quality. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti & Paul Dini | Drawn by John Timms & Brett Blevins
Bringing Harley Quinn co-creator Paul Dini into the fold is both the best and worst thing that could have happened to this series. Dini and Brett Blevins' backup story is terrific fun, serving as a pitch-perfect throwback to Batman: The Animated Series and its portrayal on the Harley/Joker dynamic. We can only hope this backup will convince DC to revisit Harley's younger days more often. By comparison, the main story is disappointingly bland. In general, the series is rarely at its strongest when dealing with Harley's role in New York City's political underworld. That trend continues here. Harley's current feud with a group of homeless person-devouring cannibals feels very random and half-baked. It's neither as silly nor as dramatic as it strives to be. At least John Timms' art style suits the general tone of this story. Timms always brings a slightly more sinister edge to the book, and that's certainly called for given the subject matter. Still, there's a growing concern that this series is losing its bite. -Jesse
Final Score:
Written by Bryan Hitch | Drawn by Fernando Pasarin
Fernando Pasarin has turned out to be quite a find on this series. If Justice League can’t have Bryan Hitch as the artist of every issue, then it might as well be Pasarin. Pasarin does the best Hitch impression I’ve seen in comics, and he absolutely nails the widescreen action and the human emotions. There’s one panel with Superman late in the issue that says so much without a single word. That’s a beautiful thing, and a testament to Pasarin’s skills as an artist. That said, Hitch’s time travel epic kind of peters out as the real antagonist stands revealed. Neither Molly nor Tempus the Timeless Mind are exactly evil, but neither of them are a very convincing threat to the Justice League. This issue keeps dropping hints that a much bigger evil is on the horizon, but that constant foreshadowing doesn’t make for a very exciting conclusion. We’re curious about Hitch’s endgame with this comic, and hopefully the next storyline will begin to clear things up again. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Tim Seeley | Drawn by Javier Fernandez & Minkyu Jung
It has to be said that the motivations are very murky for the villains in the current Nightwing storyline. We’re on our third surprise villain, but no closer to really understanding his endgame. Assuming that Dr. Hurt even has an endgame. So far, he’s just been toying with Nightwing by proxy and kidnapping Dick Grayson’s girlfriend, Shawn Tsang, as well as the current Robin, Damian Wayne. This time, Seeley writes Dick and Shawn as real partners, and it’s a refreshing take on their relationship. I’m not sure what the long term prospects are looking like for Shawn and Dick’s romance, but they are very entertaining together as a couple. The art by Fernandez & Jung also captures the frantic nature of Dick Grayson’s fight with Deathwing. It’s a good and solid book, but Nightwing is still missing something to bring to the next level. The cliffhanger ending was decent, but it is something that we’ve seen many times before. -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Peter Tomasi | Drawn by Jorge Jimenez
DC readers are extremely fortunate that Peter Tomasi somehow has enough time in his schedule to write a twice-monthly Superman comic and this spinoff series. Super Sons retains much of the charm that makes Superman such a joy to read, but with the added fun of the Damian/Jon dynamic to spice things up. Tomasi captures both their voices well, frequently contrasting Jon's wide-eyed innocence with Damian's cranky cynicism and arrogance. The series continues to build steam as Tomasi sheds more light on the conflict and builds cleverly on the events of "The Amazo Virus" from Geoff Johns' Justice League run. But despite all this, the real selling point of Super Sons is Jorge Jimenez's artwork. Jimenez seems to grow by leaps and bounds with each new project. He brings a dynamic sense of energy to the page, while his exaggerated, expressive character designs are perfectly suited to a book full of super-powered youngsters. -Jesse
Final Score:
Written by Peter Tomasi & Patrick Gleason | Drawn by Patrick Gleason
The Kents may not be living in Smallville, but things are plenty weird in their adopted hometown. So much so that Superman, Superboy, and Robin end up fighting a creature that may not have anything to do with Batman’s suspicious disappearance. But when absolutely everyone that’s close to the Kents turn out to be otherworldly strangers, then it’s starting to get a little ridiculous. Patrick Gleason and Peter J. Tomasi’s story ends up taking a turn later in the issue that may necessitate a re-reading of the previous issues of Superman’s Rebirth storyline. This chapter is a little weaker in the story department, but Gleason makes up for it with his artwork. There’s one splash page in particular that is very affecting, and you’ll know which one it is when you see it. Gleason’s art can overcome the weaker moments of the issue, and there is an interesting conflict brewing between father and son. Superman’s noticed that Jon hasn’t been obeying his orders, but how do you discipline a child that may be even stronger than the parent? -Blair
Final Score:
Written by Warren Ellis | Drawn by Jon Davis-Hunt
The Wild Storm is a clever, engrossing update to the old Wildstorm universe, but the series has been a bit lacking when it comes to the sardonic wit Warren Ellis usually brings to his work. Luckily, that begins to change in this issue as Ellis and Jon Davis-Hunt introduce Jenny Sparks into the fold. Jenny displays some very interesting abilities here, including a fun sequence where she travels between the real world and various TV shows, commercials and comic books. Admittedly, Davis-Hunt's style is a bit too subdued to truly capture the weirdness of that sequence. But otherwise, his work is a great match for this new take on the Wildstorm U. - one that feels slightly futuristic and exciting but still bound by very real and obvious technical limitations. Jenny Spark's debut seems to charge up the book in general (pun intended) as this issue takes a more action-oriented approach and makes greater strides in terms of establishing the main players and power struggles of this universe. This already promising new series is quickly heating up. -Jesse
Final Score:
Continues
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